Addiction Treatment

Levels of care and therapeutic framework

Addiction treatment is structured in levels of intensity according to severity.

Level 1 (Outpatient) involves regular consultations (psychology/psychiatry) while the patient maintains his/her daily life. It is suitable for early or maintenance phases.

Level 2 (Intensive/Day Hospital) requires daily or several times a week for hours, offering more structure without hospitalization.

Level 3 (Residential/Therapeutic Community) involves inpatient placement in a facility where the patient lives 24 hours under supervision, ideal for breaking out of the using environment and restructuring habits.

Finally, Level 4 (Inpatient) is for complex medical detoxifications or severe psychiatric comorbidities. Choosing the appropriate level is the first critical treatment decision.

Phases of Intervention: From Awareness to Action

The therapeutic process begins with Recognition and awareness of illness.

Breaking through denial ("I am in control", "it's no big deal") is the most difficult and necessary step.

Psychoeducation is used so that the patient and family understand the biological and behavioral nature of the disorder. Subsequently, Psychological Detoxification is worked on.

This involves identifying and modifying the antecedents of the consumption (places, people, emotions) and learning coping strategies.

The patient is trained to manage craving without consuming, using cognitive-behavioral techniques such as thought stopping or distraction.

Lifestyle restructuring is also addressed, filling the void left by the drug with healthy activities that are incompatible with drug use.

Relapse Prevention and Coping Strategies

Recovery is not linear; relapse is a constant risk that must be prevented. The patient is trained in early identification of warning signs (mood swings, fantasies of consumption) and in refusal skills ("learning to say NO").

It is vital to differentiate between a one-off "fall" and a total "relapse" to avoid the abstinence-violation effect (throwing in the towel because of a mistake).

Coping strategies are divided into the management of external situations (avoiding bars, not carrying cash) and the control of internal states (managing anger or sadness without substances).

Problem solving and stress management are core competencies to be strengthened so that the patient does not need the